’ Man Essay, Research Paper
John Steinbeck
A Common Man s Man
I never wrote two books alike , once said John Steinbeck (Shaw, 10). That may be true, but I think that he wrote many of his novels and short stories based on many of the same views. He often focused on social problems, like the haves verses the have nots”, and made the reader want to encourage the underdog. Steinbeck s back ground and concern for the common man made him one of the best writers for human rights.
John Steinbeck was born in Salians, California and spent most of his life there or around Salians, because of that he often modeled his stories and the characters around the land he loved and the experiences he encountered. He lived in Salians until 1919, when he left for Stanford University, he only enrolled in the courses that pleased him – literature, creative writing and majoring in Marine Biology. He left in 1925, without a degree. Even though he didn t graduate his books showed the results of his five years spent there. His books display a considerable reading of the Greek and Roman historians, and the medieval and Renaissance fabalists and the biological sciences (Shaw 11). He then moved to New York and tried his hand as a construction worker and as a reporter for the American. (Covici , xxxv). Steinbeck then moved back to California and lived with his wife at Pacific Grove. In 1934, he wrote for the San Franciso News, he was assigned to write several articles about the 3,000 migrants flooded in at Kings County. The plight of the migrant workers motivated him to help and document their struggle. The money he earned from the newspaper allowed him to travel to their home and see why their reason for leaving and traveled to California with them, sharing in with their hardships (Steinbeck, 127). Because John Steinbeck was able to travel with the
Okies, he was able to accurately portray them and their struggles.
Each book that he wrote had settings in the places where he has either lived or wanted to live. He presented the land as it was. The characters in his stories experienced floods, drought, and other natural disasters, while in the Salians Valley (Shaw, 5).
What Steinbeck wrote was very factual and in depth. He exhibited his awareness of man and his surroundings, in his early books, before people ate, a pig had to be slaughtered, and often that and before they ate, it had to be cooked. Also when a car broke down, the characters had to find parts, and fixed it themselves (Shaw, 13).
Many people consider that John Steinbeck novels are records of social history. His books are the history of plain people and society as a whole, many of his books focused on the Great Depression, Social Prejudice, religion, the whore house, and the automobile (Rundell, 4). He may be considered as a Sentimentalist, because of his concerns for the common man, human values, for warmth and love and understanding. The social relevance of his writhings reveals him as a reformer (Covici, xxii). In his novel The Pastures of Heaven, Steinbeck brings up the issues of Japanese Americans fitting into social groups, and in East of Eden, he examines the problems of intelligent and educated Chinese-Americans in the California setting. John Steinbeck only once seriously considers the problems of Negroes in Society. Crooks, the stable boy in Of Mice and Men, was an outcast and never destine to fit into the generally white society of ranching.
Not only did Steinbeck recognize the -problems of minorities and racial prejudice, he also mentioned class prejudice. The difference between the haves verses the have nots was
brought up in the novel, The Grapes of Wrath, usually the people who had any financial
stability hated the Okies, who had none. Owners hated the Okies because they were soft and the Okies were strong, also the store keepers hated them because the Okies had no money to spend in their stores (Bowden, 12).
The Grapes of Wrath presents these issues in the form of an epic and sums up the despair of the early 1930 s. The Joads experience: love, brotherhood, integrity, class fear, power, violence, and suspension, the same as every other migrant. Their conflict was a national epic, instead of a personal one ( George et al. 1013). The parable of the tortoise crossing the road represents the people of the 1930 s, he is beaten by the sun, knocked around, and struggles, but probably reaches his destination. In his other stories, he also uses characters and symbols to represent the migrants of the 1930 s, and often makes his symbolism obvious. The story of the gophers in Cannery Row represents that you can t have your cake and eat it too. When I read Cannery Row the chapter about the gopher came totally out of the blue, I did not think it belonged there, and made no sense, but after doing research about Steinbeck stories, The gopher parable did have its significance, not only in the story but as society as a whole (Bowden, 195). In The Red Pony the contrasting mountain ranges that Jody constantly question through out the book, symbolize hope and fear, youth and age, knowledge and savage mystery (Shaw, 13). The creation, birth and death of the second pony, is one of Steinbeck s more obvious symbolism. Some interpret this as a young mans coming to maturity by experiencing the mysteries of procreation, birth, and death, but it does not go that deep because through out the story Steinbeck continually refers to Jody as little
racial prejudice, he also mentioned class prejudice. The difference between the haves verses the have nots was
boy Jody , maybe implying that Jody never did really mature. The story was abrubtly ended like many of John Steinbeck’s stories.
The Red Pony ends in no particular place and also in Grapes of Wrath the story of the Joads ends when their plight is at its lowest.Steinbeck leads the reader through the lives of his characters
In conclusion, John Steinbeck with his concern for man and his environment, and his broad background has made him a respected author, and human rights activist. His books are as relevant to us today as they were sixty years ago, and are also important as documentation of social history.
Bibliography
Benet s Readers, Encyclopedia of American Literature. 1991 ed.
Bowden, Edwin T. The Dungeon of the Heart. New York, NY: The Mcmillan Company,
1961.
Covici, Pacal Jr. The Portable Steinbeck. New York, NY: The Viking Press, 1963.
McWillams, Carey, “California Pastoral , Antioch Review, March, 1942: 103-21.
Rundell, Walter Jr. Steinbeck s Image of the West, 4-17
Shaw, Peter. “Steinbeck: The Shape of a Career , Saturday Review, 8 February,
1969: 10-14.
Steinbeck, John. A Primer on the Thirties”. Esquire October 1973: 127-131, 364, 366.
Walcutt Charles C. Later Trends in Form: Steinbeck, Hemingway, Dos Passos , American
Literary Naturalism: A Divided Stream. University of Minnesota, 1956: 258- 59. 268-69.
34c
Другие работы по теме:
John Steinbeck Biography Essay Research Paper John
John Steinbeck Biography Essay, Research Paper John Ernst Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California, on February 27, 1902 of German and Irish ancestry. His father, John Steinbeck, Sr., served as the County Treasurer while his mother, Olive (Hamilton) Steinbeck, a former school teacher, fostered Steinbeck’s love of reading and the written word.
Biography Of John Steinbeck Essay Research Paper
Biography of John Steinbeck John Steinbeck was born in 1902, in California’s Salinas Valley, a region that would eventually serve as the setting for Of Mice and Men as well as many of his other works. He studied literature and writing at Stanford University, but disenrolled in 1925, after six years, without a degree.
Themes In The Grapes Of Wrath Essay
, Research Paper Matthew Sinrod Dr. Doyle Eng 102 5/5/98 “Themes in “The Grapes of Wrath” John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California February 27th 1902. He was the third of four children and the only son of John Ernst Steinbeck II, manager of a flour mill, and Olive Hamilton Steinbeck, a former teacher. Steinbeck said of his youth, (”We were poor people with a hell of a lot of land which made us think we were rich people, even when we couldn’t buy food and were patched.”) Steinbeck used the area where he grew up as the setting for many of his stories.
John Steinbeck Analysis Essay Research Paper Author
John Steinbeck Analysis Essay, Research Paper Author John Steinbeck writes “In no country are more seeds and plants and equipment purchased and less vegetables and flowers raised.” This quote stood out to me. I see many instances in which our neighbors or friends return from a store with ideas and garden tools.
The Journey Theme Of Grapes Of Wrath
Essay, Research Paper The Journey Theme of The Grapes of Wrath In the Classic novel The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck displays in his writing many different and interconnected themes. The main idea of the novel can be interpreted many different ways through many of the different actions and characters throughout the novel.
Family Ties John Steinbeck
’s The Grapes Of Wrath Essay, Research Paper In John Steinbeck?s The Grapes of Wrath, the most important elements are family structure and the family?s connection to the land. The Joad family must stay together for support and happiness. They also have a strong tie to their homeland that affects every aspect of their lives.
Character Roles In Steinbeck
’s The Crhysantemums Essay, Research Paper Character Roles in Steinbeck s The Chrysanthemums In The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck, the role of Elisa shifts several times throughout the story, from the loving, sensitive wife, to strong, independent woman and back. This all comes about from a meeting with a traveling repairman.
The Mouse Of All Men By John
Steinbeck Essay, Research Paper The book I read was Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Of Mice and Men is a great book. It shows how loving somebody so much could also mean doing anything for them, even murder them.
Symbolism The Chrysanthemums Essay Research Paper Symbolism
Symbolism- The Chrysanthemums Essay, Research Paper Symbolism- “The Chrysanthemums John Steinbecks’ “The Chrysanthemums” is a story that utilizes symbolism on many levels. Most of all, I believe in the character of Elisa Adams. Elisa and her garden seem to be considered one. Because of all of her hard labor and love the Chrysanthemums flourish.
Prejudice In Of Mice And Men Essay
, Research Paper Prejudice in Of Mice and Men Novel by John Steinbeck In the past and present there have been many divisions of people for many reasons. Examples of this prejudice include discrimination
Comparison Between Call Of The Wild And
Of Mice And Men Essay, Research Paper The supplemental assignment I did was the one with the two books by different authors of the same genre. The books I read were Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck and Call of the wild by Jack London. These two books are classified under the genre of drama.
John Steinbeck The Pearl Essay Research Paper
The Pearl John Steinbeck Kino, is a poor Indian fisherman who lives on the Gulf of California with his wife Juana and baby son Coyotito. They are very poor but happy family. When he finds the pearl of the world he believes that wonderful things will come from selling it. As he tries to sell the pearl he realizes that the local businessmen will cheat him and decides to travel to sell it.
Book Review On Grapes Of Wrath Essay
, Research Paper A Critical Review of: John Steinbeck s The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck wrote this book in the hopes that people would be able to see what was happening to our nation s people. He wanted to open their eyes to see the hardships that migrants faced everyday and he accomplished this through the telling of the Joad s family story.
John Steinbeck And Of Mice And Man
Essay, Research Paper John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is nothing short of magnificent. The book is about two men that travel together looking for work. The plot centers on George
Grapes Of WrathStructure Essay Research Paper Authors
Grapes Of Wrath-Structure Essay, Research Paper Authors often use many styles and techniques in their novels. They use certain methods in order to make their stories seem more real. John Steinbeck uses many literary
Death 2
Death – The Final Motif In Of Mice And Men Essay, Research Paper My mother is dead, my father is dead, my sister is dead, and now I am going to kill myself. When reading that list is becomes obvious after the first couple of deaths that there are more to follow. In John Steinbeck?s masterpiece Of Mice and Men, the use of deaths as a motif, or a reoccurring theme, is just the opposite.
Of Mice
& Men- John Stienbeck Overview Essay, Research Paper Of Mice and Men Mini-Critique John Steinbeck was born in Salinas California on February 27, 1902. His mother was a school teacher in the public school in Salinas. Steinbeck grew up in the beautiful Salinas Valley which furnished most of the material for his novels.
The Chrysanthemums Essay Research Paper Page 1In
The Chrysanthemums Essay, Research Paper Page 1 In John Steinbeck s story The Chrysanthemums he makes the story very interesting with his usage of setting, local color, and the characterization he uses. Steinbeck wrote The Chrysanthemums as part of a collection of stories in The Long Valley in 1938. Steinbeck who is of Irish and German ancestry was born in Salinas, Monterey County, California.
The Chrysanthemums Essay Research Paper Symbolism in
The Chrysanthemums Essay, Research Paper Symbolism in The Chrysanthemums (The Chrysanthemums By John Steinbeck) John Steinbeck gives a different type of symbolism in The Chrysanthemums. Many symbols appear, giving simple meanings and even foreshadowing the story to limited degree. Elisa seems to be content with her garden caring only for the welfare of her plants, with a special regard for the chrysanthemums.
Johnsteinbeck Essay Research Paper John SteinbeckJohn Steinbeck
Johnsteinbeck Essay, Research Paper ?John Steinbeck? John Steinbeck is one of many American literature writers, but he is one of a kind in his work. Steinbeck went through many troubles to get his work where it is now. What would you do if publishers rejected your whole short story collection? Many people would quit right there, but now john Steinbeck.
Flight Essay Research Paper Flight by John
Flight Essay, Research Paper Flight by John Steinbeck In his classic short story, “Flight,” John Steinbeck uses many examples of symbolism to foreshadow the conclusion. Symbolism can be anything, a person, place or thing, used to portray something beyond itself. It is used to represent or foreshadow the ending of the story.
The Grapes Of Wrath 7 Essay Research
Paper ECON 115 26 May 2000 The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck s book The Grapes of Wrath depicts the sufferings of a southwestern family of poor tenant farmers who migrate to California in hopes of finding prosperity, but sadly only find poverty and despair there. The book portrays the transition the Joads family experiences as they become migrant laborers under the command of the rich.
Grapes Of Wrath Ma Joad Essay Research
Paper Ma Joad is one of the main characters in John Steinbeck’s novel Grapes of Wrath. Ma is a strong, wife and mother who is the leader of the family. She does anything to keep the family together. In Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck uses two literary techniques, direct description and portrayal of characters behavior, to create the character, Ma Joad.
The Grapes Of Wrath Essay Research Paper
John Steinbeck?s purpose in The Grapes of Wrath The Grapes of Wrath entails a story of perseverance in dealing with oppressive labor conditions faced by migrant laborers during the Depression. Steinbeck?s purpose contrived by the novel?s tone, was to inform the public of the migrant?s plight. Through analyzing the effective use of diction, comparison of man to animal, and organization of alternating narrative with serious discussion about the Depression, one can see the purpose of The Grapes of Wrath.
East Of Edan Essay Research Paper John
East Of Edan Essay, Research Paper John Steinbeck In the novel, East of Eden by John Steinbeck, Catherine Ames is one of the main characters. She is introduced to the reader as a monster and
The Use Of Symbols In Steinbeck
’s The Chrysanthemums Essay, Research Paper The Use of Symbols in John Steinbeck s The Chrysanthemums In John Steinbeck s short story, The Chrysanthemums, he uses the flower to symbolize his main character s thoughts and ideas. There are many examples of such symbolism in this work.
Symbolism In John Steinbeck
’s The Pearl Essay, Research Paper Symbolism in The Pearl by John Steinbeck Novels were created to show a very simplistic view in great depth. The Pearl, by John Steinbeck, takes a novel to its most unadulterated form. Steinbeck does this by conveying life symbolically. Through symbols, Steinbeck offers the reader a more clear look at life and its content.
John Steinbeck Essay Research Paper John SteinbeckJohn
John Steinbeck Essay, Research Paper John Steinbeck John Steinbeck was a famous American author who wrote from the 1920 to the 1940. Steinbeck was constantly moving across the country trying to succeed as a writer. John Steinbeck lived a life of constant up and downs, successes and failures before he landed on his feet and became a famous author.
The Similarities And Differences Between Frankenstein Aylmer
, And Dr. Phillips Essay, Research Paper The Similarities and Differences Between Frankenstein, Aylmer, and Dr. Phillips Authors Mary Shelly, Nathaniel Hawthorne and John Steinbeck have all created scientists in at least one piece of their work. Mary Shelly’s character Frankenstein, from her novel Frankenstein, is a man who is trying to create life from death.
Of Mice And Men Film Review Essay
, Research Paper Of Mice and Men: Review In this, the third and latest movie version of John Steinbeck?s Of Mice and Men, screenplay written by Horton Foote and directed by Gary Sinese, the audience is
The Gift Essay Research Paper The Red
The Gift Essay, Research Paper The Red Pony, by John Steinbeck, tells the story of young Jody?s growth and development. The novel, The Red Pony, is divided into four chapters that which constitute four short stories depicting a portion of Jody?s growth and development. The first story, ?The Gift?, illustrates the changes and experiences young Jody faces and he reacts to them.